wheeler



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

0. A. WHEELER.

VENDING MAOHINE. No. 447,037. Patented Feb. 24, 1891.

UNITED STATES,

ATENT FFrcE.

ORRIN A. \YHEELER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO THE AMERICANCIGAR'VENDER COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

VENDING-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 447,037, dated February24, 1891.

Application filed October 27, 1890. Serial No. 369,506. on model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ORRIN A. \VHEELER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Vendin -Machines, ofwhich the following is a specification.

My invention relates to certain new and useful improvements incoin-controlled vendingmachines, and is more especially adapted to thatclass of such machines to be used for vending cigars and other articles;and it consists in the peculiarities of the construction, the novelarrangement, and operation of the various parts thereof, as will behereinafter more fully set forth and specifically claimed.

The objects of my invention are, first, to afford a machine forautomatically vending articles of various values, which shall be simpleand inexpensive in construction and effective in operation; second, toafford such a machine in which the operation of. delivering the articlesold is done and controlled by coins having certain weights,circumferences, and 2 5 thicknesses, and, third, a machine which willreceive and retain without delivery of goods all spurious coins or thoseof less value than is required to purchase the article, but which willreturn to the purchaser a coin of the proper value which,by reason oflong usage, has been worn thin and lost in weight and has been depositedby mistake by the purchaser.

In order to enable others skilled in the art to which my inventionpertains to make and use the same, I will now proceed to describe it,referring to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a frontview of my machine, showing one compartment only, and having the lowerportion thereof broken away to show the operating mechanism. Fig. 2 is aside sectional view thereof. Fig. 3 is a detail view of thedelimry-regulatin g piece or slide. Fig. 4: is an enlarged detail viewof the lower portion of the casing of the machine, showing the operatingmechanism and the manner of deliyerjngthe articles purchased. Fig. 5 isa plan view of the operating mechanism as it appears when ready for use.Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the controlling lever detached. Fig. 7is an enlarged detail view of the trigger on one end of the lever, andFig. 8 is a perspective View of a coin-chute.

Similar letters refer to like parts throughout the different views ofthe drawings.

A represents the main frame or casing of my machine, which incloses themechanism and articles to be sold, and is made of suit able material andof proper size and form with as many different compartments as may bedesired. The back of the case is closed by a board or solid piece 60which may be removed when it is desired to remove any of the parts forrepairs, and the front thereof is provided with a hinged door a, havingglass panels or, upon which may be placedsigns and instructions foroperating the device, and through which may be seen the articles forsale, and in case of cigars the United States internal-revenue stamps,which are required by law to be conspicuously displayed.

' The lower portion of the case A is enlarged, as seen in Fig. 2, whichform affords a pedestal or foundation forthe upper part and furnishesroom for the operating mechanism and delivery of goods. I

Just below the bottom of the door a the case A is provided with .a flooror bottom a through which is formed an opening'a, for the escapement ofthe articles to be sold to the delivery-platform E, from whichfth'ey aretaken by the purchaser. v

Directly beneath the floor a in t 7 sides of the case A, are formedhorizontal es a, which extend from the front to the rear portion of thecase A, and in which fits and may freely slide backward and forward thedelivery-regulating piece or slide B,'which is provided with one or moreslots or openings I) (through which the articles of purchase may pass)and at the rear of the slidewith a catch 12' to engage with the push oroperatingpiece C, as will be presently explained. J nst below the lowersurface of the slideB, when in the grooves a and between the sides ofthe case, is a floor D, which extends from the front of the case backtill within a vertical line with the rear portion of the opening a ofthe floor a as is clearly seen in Fig. 2 of the zoo drawings.v

At a proper point below the floor D, be-

' lever G.

tween the sides of the case A and extending from the front to the rearportion of the case, is secured a floor E, having a slot 19 orrectangular guideway for the piece 0, extending from near the front tothe rear portion of the floor. On and to the under surface of the floorE and near the front portion thereof is secured a piece F, which has itsrear end slightly beveled, and extends a little beyond a vertical linedrawn from the front part of the opening o as is shown at b and will beclearly understood by reference to Figs. 2 and 4, and the purpose ofwhich will soon be explained. At a proper point to thelower surface ofthe floor E and at one side of the openingJ) and in rear of the frontportion of said openingis placed and secured atrip c, which ispreferably made of a flat piece of metal bent down at an angle, so thatits free end "will extend to near the middle of the slot b yet a shortdistance beneath the under surfaceof the floor E, and has its 'free endcut away toward the rear of the opening bi'as at c in'Fig. 5.

The push, handle, or operating-piece C is madeof suitable material andof proper length and width to extend over the opening N, which openingacts as a guideway for said piec'e,as well as to allow the free movementback-and forth of the operating-lever G, which is secured tothe underside of the piece 0. As shown inthe drawings, each end of the piece 0 isbent upward, the front end to form a han-' dle'and the rear end toengage with the fastenin'g'or catch b on the rear of the slide-piece B,as is apparent by reference to Figs. 2 and 4. Near the front end of thepiece 0 is pro-- vided therein a transverse slot 0 into and throughwhich the coin is inserted and passes when itis desired to purchase oneor more of the articles offered by the device for sale. This slot ismade transversely through the piece 0, and at such a point that when thesaid "piece is in its normal position it will be directly over the rearend of the piece F, which piece'prevents the withdrawal of a coin bymeans of a string attached to it.

Above the piece Oand secured to the top surface of the floor E is a flatplate H, which has near its front end, as a proper point to be inalignment with the slot 0 when the piece 0 is in its normal position, aslotted tube 0 which may be either straight or slightly curved, as shownby dotted lines in Fig. 4, the "object in sometimes having the tubecurved being to prevent a coin of lighter weight than that of therequisite value to operatethemachine being forced down throughthe'tube'with such force as to operate the lever G, the curve in thetube retarding to some extent the passage of the coin, as will bereadily understood.

To the under surface of the piece 0 is se-' c'u'reda hanger d, to whichis fulcrumed the This hanger is preferably bifurcated in form andreceives and retains the lever G and pawl d between its forks, each ofwhich isprovided with holes at the proper point, through which is passeda pin (1 for pivotally securing the hanger, pawl, and lever together, sothat when in position the edges of the piece C will rest on the sides ofthe opening b and allow the hanger and lever to extend downward to aproper distance to engage by means of the pawl which the lever carrieswith a ratchet I, which has a number of teeth 6, and is secured to thebottom of the case A or to a raised piece 6 secured thereto. The lever Gis formed at its rear end with an enlargement e of sufficient weight tocounterbalance the weight of the coin required to purchase the article,and one side of this enlargement with a laterally-projecting lug 6 uponwhich rests the under side of the pawl d, and which disengages the pawlfrom the ratchet when a coin, by reason of its weight, presses the'frontend of the lever downward, Which front end is formed or provided with alaterally-extending arm K, through which is formed a slot f, which slothas at one end a V-shaped ending f, whichshaped end of said slot,together with a similarly-shaped ending f in the trigger, is adapted toallow coins lacking in thickness but-having the proper or a largercircumference than coins of the requisite value to pass through the slotf without causing delivery'of the article.

To the end of the arm K, on the same side of the lever as the projection6 is pivotally secured a trigger L, which is slightly deflected to thefront ofthe case when in position, as seen in Fig. 4, and has its frontside beveled, as shown in Fig. 6,the bevel and deflection thereofcausing the trigger to rise and drop the coin when it strikes againstthe cut-away portion 0 of the piece 0. The upper end of the trigger L isprovided with an arm Z, which extends into the slot f, and when in itsnormal position rests flush with the top surface of'the arm K, and hasits free end formed V- shaped, as at f similarly and for a like purposeto the V-shaped end of the slot. To the under side of'the floor E, andat a proper point between the front end of the opening 11 thereof andthe piece 0, is secured a piece g, similar in form to the piece 0 inevery respect except that it is somewhat smaller and does not extenddownward quite so far. This piece is designed to trip the trigger atthis point and to cause the coin to drop into the chute h below when acoin of the requisite value has been deposited in the slot, but byreason of long usage has lost in weight yet retains its propercircumference and substantially its correct thickness. As shown in Figs.1 and 2, the chute h-has an opening in the front of the casing, so thatsuch a coin may be returned by its inclined position to the depositor,and is formed with a longitudinal slot or opening'h, of such dimensionsas'to allow coins of less circumference than those required to passthrough the said opening.

It will be understood that when a coin of proper weight, circumference,and thickness is deposited in the slot 0 it will assume the positioninthe slot f of the arm K shown by the'continuous lines on in Fig. 7,and by reason of its weightwill tip the nicely-adjusted lever G till itreaches the position shown by dotted lines, as at n in Fig. 4, whichposition will be retained till, by sliding the piece 0 toward the rear,the trigger 'L strikes the trip 0, when the coin will be liberated anddropped to the floor, as shown by the posture of the parts indicated bydotted lines a in Figs. at and 7. It is apparent that when the front endof the lever is pressed down by the weight of the coins the pawl cZ willbe disengaged from the ratchet-teeth e, through the lug c and that thepiece 0, carrying the lever G,

,maybe slid backward till the coin is dropped and the delivery of thearticle is made to the upper portion of floor E. In order to have thearticle thrown toward the front of floor E.

in delivery, a piece 0, curved as shown in Fig. at, is placed andsecured to the piece 0 back of the plate H. IVhen a coin of correctweight is deposited, the front end of the lever G, having the arm K,will be pressed down, so that the arm K will pass beneath the piece g;but when a coin of the correct value but lacking in weight is depositedthe arm L will strike the piece 9 and the coin be liberated and droppedto the chute h, from and by which it is returned to the depositor. Inthe drawings the coins are represented by the figures marked 7', and thearticles to be sold, which in the present instance are supposed to becigars, by the letter 3.

, In Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings I have shown my machine arranged forand illustrating only one compartment; but it is obvious that I may haveas many different compartments as may be required or desired, and thatthe delivery of the number of articles sold for one coin may beregulated by the number of slots or openings 1) in the slide B-that is,if two articles are designed to be delivered for one coin the slide willhave two slots therein, and if more than two for one coin a slot foreach additional article. In the case of a number of articles to bedelivered on the deposit of one coin, it is evident that the ratchet Imust have a greater number of teeth or be longer than if only onearticle is to be delivered, and that the coin will not be deposited andthe delivery made until the pawl has passed to the rear of theratchetteeth, the trip 0 being placed at such a point as to trip thetrigger at such a time.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a coin-controlled vending-machine, the combination of the casingA, having the floor a having the opening a the floors D and E, saidfloor E having the opening b ,the'

piece 0, having the slot 0 the regulating-slide B, having the opening I)and catch 1), the lever G, t'ulorumed to the piece 0 and having the lug6 arm K, having the slot f, pawl cZ, trigger L, having the arm Z, thepiece a, secured to the fioorE, and the ratchet I, having the teeth e,all constructed, arranged, and operating substantially as and for thepurpose set forth.

2. In a coin -.controlled vending-machine,

the combination of the casing A, having the floor a provided with theopening a, the floors D and E, said floor E having the opening b thepieces 0, F, and c, with the piece 0, having the slot c ,theregulating-slide B, having one opening I) and catch 1), the lever G,fulcrumed to the piece 0 and having the lug c and arm K, having theslotf, the pawl (Z, trigger L, having the arm Z, the ratchet I, havingthe teeth e, and the chute h, all constructed, arranged, and operatingsubstantially as shown and described, and for the purpose set forth.

3. In a coin-controlled vending-machine, the combination of the casingA, having the floor a provided with the opening a, the floors D and E,said floor E having the opening b the pieces 0 and F, the piece 0,having the slot 0 the regulating-slide B, having one opening I) andcatch 1), the lever G, fulcrumed. to the piece 0 and having the lug earm K, and slot f, the latter having the V-shaped end, the pawl (Z,trigger L, provided with the arm Z, having the V-shaped end, and theratchet I, having the teeth 6, all constructed, arranged, and operatingsubstantially as and for the purpose set forth.

a. In a coin-controlled vending-machine, the combination of the case A,having the floor a provided with the opening 64 the floors D and E, saidfloor E having the opening b the pieces 0, F, and g, the piece 0, havingthe slot 0 the regulating-slide 13, having one opening I) and catch 12,the lever G, fulcrumed to the piece 0 and having LOO the lug c and armK, having the V-shaped I the slotted tube 0, all constructed, arranged,

and operating substantially as shown and described, andfor the purposeset forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and affixed my sealthis 21st day of October, 1890. K

ORRIN A. WHEELER. [us] In presence of QHAs. C. TILLMAN, H. HARRISON.

